MAYOR GARCETTI, PORT OF LOS ANGELES PROVIDE COVID-19 TESTING TO LONGSHORE WORK FORCE
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — July 16, 2020 — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, in coordination with the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Port of Los Angeles, offered drive-through COVID-19 testing to hundreds of longshore workers and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employees on Thursday. The testing was coordinated through the efforts and leadership of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the PMA. “Through the leadership of Mayor Garcetti, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas and Los Angeles Port Police Chief Tom Gazsi, I’m so proud that the Port of Los Angeles can play an important role in providing for the health and safety of these critical workers,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “We are particularly grateful to ILWU Local 13 President Ramon Ponce de Leon, Local 63 President Mike Podue and Local 94 President Danny Miranda for leading the way on this groundbreaking event.” In March, the Port donated 2,000 sets of gloves and 1,000 masks to Teamsters Local 848 and the Harbor Trucking Association. The Port also donated 1,500 pairs of gloves to the PMA for distribution to dock workers. The Port of Los Angeles remains open with all terminals operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $276 billion in trade during 2019. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs in the five-county Southern California region.
